Browns next to explore market for radio rights

<i>Proposal asks bidding stations to expand
ancillary content</i>

All signs are pointing to Clear Channel Communications retaining the rights to broadcast Cleveland Indians games on WTAM-AM 1100. But it appears the company will have to fight to keep another of its signature properties, the Cleveland Browns, after this season.
The Browns, whose radio contract is set to expire in the spring, late last week circulated requests for proposals to “interested parties” for a new radio deal.
The RFP says the Browns, in addition to game broadcasts, are seeking their radio partner — WTAM or either of Cleveland's two sports radio stations, WKNR-AM 850, better known as ESPN Cleveland, or WKRK-FM 92.3, CBS Radio's The Fan — to expand upon the 600 hours of “shoulder programming” the team already produces.
That content includes the team's year-old “Cleveland Browns Daily” radio show, which airs on WKNR every weeknight; pregame and postgame shows; and other ancillary programming.
“More content is good for us, and good for the brand,” said Jim Ross, the Browns' senior vice president of business development. “It gives us more inventory and more to sell (to advertisers) potentially.”
The Browns have called WTAM, and WMMS-FM 100.7, which simulcasts the Browns' games, home since 2002. One industry source told Crain's Cleveland Business that Clear Channel is “the best fit. ... Only big money can change things, and that may not even be enough because of all the stations Clear Channel has under one roof.”
Mr. Ross said the team is happy with Clear Channel's performance, but exploring what others might offer only makes sense.
“We have an excellent relationship with our current partner,” he said, “but we're probably doing ourselves a disservice if we don't continue to expand our programming, to look at what the best financial model would be and who might offer the best promotional and marketing support.”
Craig Karmazin, president of Milwaukee-based Good Karma Broadcasting, which owns WKNR, did not return a request for comment, nor did WTAM program director Ray Davis.
Crain's reported in mid-September that CBS Radio mounted a challenge for the Indians' deal, but sources thereafter said Clear Channel has secured a five-year contract to retain those rights. The Indians last week again said no deal was imminent.
WKRK program director Andy Roth, echoing comments made last month by CBS Radio Cleveland general manager Tom Herschel, said, “We'd be very interested. We would love to be a part of any pro franchise.” Mr. Herschel said last month, regarding a potential Indians deal, that, “We're a sports radio station. Why wouldn't we want to be a part of the conversation?”

More is better

The push for more content is driven by simple math — there only are 16 Browns games per season — and fans' continued appetite for anything related to the Browns.
Mr. Ross said that even if WTAM retained the rights, or WKRK won the bidding, the radio program “Cleveland Browns Daily,” would “not necessarily” move as well. And despite what appear to be meager numbers for the show, Mr. Ross said the team is happy with it and advertisers' response to it, and could expand it to two hours each night.
According to figures from Arbitron, a Baltimore-based outfit that tracks radio listener data, the WKNR show logs a 0.2 average quarterly rating — a measure of the average number of people listening in any 15-minute span expressed as a percentage of all adults in the market. That ranks the show 17th in that time slot in the Cleveland market, and behind WKRK.
“Our criteria for this extra programming is that it's good, the interest in the Browns is there on a year-round basis and it's financially viable and successful,” Mr. Ross said. “The answers continue to be yes.”
Enhanced programming, especially with so few hours of actual game time, also makes advertisers more likely to feel a need to be on the air, said one area media buyer who advises clients on such decisions. The Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers, for instance, have an advantage in the sheer frequency of their games and the corresponding inventory.
Mr. Ross said the team also is exploring the possibility of a digital channel, which would be an around-the-clock source for Browns programming. The Browns' RFP also states goals of improving the team's 28-station affiliate network, though that wouldn't necessarily mean an expansion but rather an improvement in the quality of stations in certain markets across the state.
John Gorman, a local radio analyst and former program director at 105.7-FM WMJI, said he was surprised by reports that WKRK did not land the Indians deal, given parent company CBS Radio's push nationwide. That push includes a $75 million deal for New York City station WFAN it plans to add to its growing sports network. The network now features 18 stations, and CBS in June announced plans for a 24-hour sports network that will launch early next year.
Mr. Gorman expects CBS to push for Browns rights, too, though he said “money ultimately will be the determining factor.”